The Corralitas Red Car Property was a private right-of-way through Silver Lake (Los Angeles) for the Pacific Electric interurban streetcar. The “Big Red Cars” ran until 1955 when the Glendale Line was decommissioned for freeway construction. For almost 40 years, a series of developers tried and failed to develop the Corralitas Red Car Property. It's not a park, it just looks like one.

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 22, 2015. An enormous Red Tailed Hawk was one of a pair hunting on the north end of the Red Car Property. (Click on photo to enlarge.)I heard a very loud crashing of branches and looked up to see a huge Red Tail trying to balance in a Eucalyptus off Adelbert. Usually, adult Red Tails are not that clumsy. I suspect it was chasing a squirrel and missed, or the squirrel jumped to escape and went tumbling down to the ground.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 22, 2015. It took a moment for the Red Tail to regain its composure, it was panting, as I've seen them do after making a kill. It must be the adrenaline of the hunt. It sat in the tree watching something on the ground below for a few minutes before taking off, circling low around the north end of the property a few times, looking for alternate prey. Considering neither AM/PM nor Rick's keep their trash bins covered, there should be an ample supply of rats on this end of the property too.

The first hawk
quickly gained altitude, soaring in larger circles in the high winds and
landed near the top of the DWP power line tower across Fletcher behind
Home Restaurant.The second hawk had been calling to the first throughout this encounter. I don't know if the second hawk was its mate or one of this year's babies. Red Tails will hang around with their parents for the better part of a year while they learn to hunt.

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Who we are

Community Residents’ Association for Parks is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization formed in 1997 by our Silver Lake neighborhood. We are dedicated to acquisition and preservation of the Corralitas Red Car Property as a park in partnership with the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.
Contact: redcarproperty@gmail.com

Community Residents’ Association for Parks is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization formed in 1997 by our Silver Lake neighborhood. We are dedicated to acquisition and preservation of the Corralitas Red Car Property as a park in partnership with the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.